English in the Netherlands

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In the Netherlands, the English language can be spoken by the vast majority of the population, with estimates of English proficiency reaching 90%^[1] to 93%^[2] of the Dutch population. Contributing factors for the high degree of English fluency are the similarity of the two languages, the country's small size, dependence on international trade,^[3] and the use of subtitles for foreign languages on television, rather than audio dubbing. Dutch children have to start learning English in primary school from age ten at the latest.^[4] Additionally, more and more Dutch schools, at all levels of education, have adopted English as a language to teach in.^[3]

Dutch's genealogical proximity to English is also noted as a significant factor since both languages share a closely related West Germanic language origin.^[5] Occupations that require advanced knowledge of English, such as those in aviation and the sciences, are above averagely chosen in the Netherlands. Furthermore, it is an official and the majority language in the Caribbean municipalities of Saba and Sint Eustatius.^[6]

Culturally, the Dutch have a long tradition of foreign language learning. The focus of modern foreign language (MFL) learning in school lies on English, German and/or French. Despite an ever stronger focus on English, learning two or even three foreign languages is still not unusual. For instance, 31% of the Dutch also claim to speak German well enough to have a conversation in it.^[3]